Niles tugged on the reins, bringing the carriage to a halt in front of Elsbeth’s manor. The soft crunch of gravel beneath the wheels filled the otherwise quiet afternoon. He leaned back for a moment, his grip tightening on the reins as he took in the grand façade of the manor. Why had he suggested a picnic? The answer was both obvious and unsettling. He wanted to spend more time with Elsbeth. Alone.
What was wrong with him?
Why did he care so much about her plight? He had offered to help her uncover the truth about her stepfather, but somewhere along the way, his role as a mere ally had begun to blur into something more personal.
With a frustrated sigh, Niles secured the reins and stepped down onto the gravel path. Before he could make his way to the door, it opened, and Lord Bedford strode out with a purposeful look on his face. His usual easy demeanor was replaced by something sharper, more serious.
“A word, Westcott,” Bedford said, closing the distance between them.
Niles raised an eyebrow, unsure of the cause for this sudden confrontation. “Bedford,” he replied, his tone cautious.
Bedford stopped just short of him. “What are your intentions towards my cousin?”
“My intentions?” Niles repeated, incredulous. “I have none beyond taking Lady Elsbeth on a carriage ride and sharing a picnic. Surely, even you can find no fault in that.”
“I expect you to behave honorably.”
Niles couldn’t suppress a scoff. “Why do you care so much about propriety when you were the one who nearly shot her?”
Bedford stiffened, his jaw tightening. “That was an accident.”
Niles allowed himself a pointed smile, the words coming out more biting than he intended. “And I daresay Lady Elsbeth will be safer in my company than she ever was in yours.”
Bedford’s eyes narrowed. “I beg your pardon?”
Before Niles could retort, the door opened again, and Elsbeth stepped outside. She looked beautiful, her jonquil gown accentuating her graceful figure, and her hair arranged in a delicate chignon. But it was her smile that captivated him the most.
“Lady Elsbeth,” Niles said, brushing past Bedford to offer his arm. “You look lovely.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, her cheeks coloring slightly as she accepted his arm.
He assisted her into the carriage, his focus entirely on her. From behind them, Bedford’s clipped voice called out, “Enjoy your picnic.”
Elsbeth glanced back, watching her cousin retreat into the manor. She turned to Niles with a curious look. “Dare I ask what Charles spoke to you about?”
Niles climbed into the carriage and sat beside her, reaching for the reins. “He wanted to ensure that I intended to behave honorably during our outing.”
“That was kind of him.”
Niles lifted an eyebrow, the reins taut in his hands. “Kind, yes. Much like the kindness he showed when he nearly shot you or when he poisoned you.”
Elsbeth sighed. “You have no proof that he did such things.”
“Perhaps not,” Niles admitted, urging the horses forward. “But his behavior is suspect.”
“My cousin is a good man,” Elsbeth insisted. “He would never intentionally hurt me. I’m certain of that.”
Niles refrained from arguing further, focusing on the road ahead. But the tension in his jaw betrayed his thoughts. “And what of your stepfather? Would he try to hurt you?”
Elsbeth clasped her hands tightly in her lap. “I don’t know what he is capable of,” she confessed. “And that frightens me the most. He presents himself as kind and warm, but I believe it’s all an act.”
“Then you need to be cautious around him,” Niles advised.
She nodded but then added, “I overheard him telling my mother that he intends to travel to the village tomorrow.”
Niles glanced at her, catching the glint of determination in her eyes. “And I suppose you want to follow him?”
A mischievous smirk curved her lips. “You’re starting to know me too well.”
